Visions 4
by JediMagnet09
Summary: part of the Visions series... 5 years later, Sam and Dean have to face a new threat when a group of hunters find out Sam's secret and decide he is a threat.  Will Sam and his family survive?
1. Chapter 1

Hey all! Sorry it took me so long to post this! This story will be about four chapters, I think. Please enjoy and review! :) Sam is 18 and Dean is 22 in this story. :)

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_5 years later…._

Sam stepped out of the library, sighing in frustration. He had nothing. Their most recent hunt was a dead end. He knew _something_ was going on here, but he could find no leads and his dad and brother were both beginning to lose their patience.

_Wait._ Sam hesitated for only a second, resuming his pace as casually as he could. Something was wrong. Long experience with dangerous and deadly circumstances had helped Sam develop strong instincts and they were screaming at him that he was in danger. The youngest Winchester casually pulled his phone out of his pocket. _If I can just get ahold of Dean….._

Before Sam could even open his phone, a hand grabbed his wrist. His response was immediate. Twisting his wrist, he broke the hold, turning to face his attacker even as he took a hasty step back.

An older man stood tall beside him, well-built, bald, and wearing several layers of clothing, toned form shifted into a fighting stance, face twisted in anger.

"What do you want?" Sam barked, even as he scanned the man for weapons and catalogued away what he saw for future use. The man was well-armed. At least one fair-sized knife and Sam was sure he saw the outline of a small gun strapped to the man's waist under his over-shirt.

The older man chuckled humorlessly. "What, you mean you didn't see me coming, demon?"

Sam froze in shock as the man's words flew through his mind and he realized exactly what they meant. _He's a hunter. He knows about my visions. Wait. Demon? Oh, crap. _"I'm not a demon." Sam responded quietly, desperately hoping, in vain he was sure, that the man would believe him.

"I'm going to put you down like the dog you are."

Sam stopped dead. "Seriously? 'Put you down like the dog you are'? You've got to be kidding me."

The man scowled. "Dogs are simple creatures. You feed them, you give them a bone and they're happy. Throw them a bone and they chase after it for as long as they can with as much energy as they can spare. Far as I can see, you and your family aren't much different. You fell for this fake hunt, didn't you?"

With that, the older man charged forward, faster than Sam was expecting, tackling him and throwing them both to the ground. They wrestled around, each trying to get the better of the other.

"I didn't _do_ anything to you!" Sam grunted, as he struggled to throw the man's weight off him.

The older man grinned, even while swinging his large fists rapidly, trying to break through Sam's defenses and strike a blow against his face. "You're Supernatural and I'm a hunter. That's enough."

Finally, the man swept aside Sam's defending hands with one of his own, his other fist landing a solid blow to Sam's face. Though his defenses had been down for only a millisecond, it gave the older hunter the chance he needed. His fists slammed into Sam's face and chest repeatedly with great force.

Sam grunted with each blow, the pain blossoming and growing in his face and chest.

_I'm in trouble. _

Sam heard the sound of multiple footsteps approaching distantly and the older hunter responding to a call. _Oh crap. He's got friends. _Sam knew his time had run out. If he was going to get out of this, it was going to have to be now. With a final burst of adrenaline, fueled by pain and desperation, Sam threw the older hunter off of him and scrambled to his feet, unsteadily taking off down the sidewalk in the direction of his family's motel.

With a thrill of alarm and fear, Sam heard a sharp blast followed by an intense agony in his side and he realized the hunters were shooting at him. Sam ran on, a mantra running through his head, egging him on. _Come on. It's not too far. Come on. You can make it. Dad and Dean will be there and they can help you figure this out. You just have to make it there. Come on. Come on. _

…

Dean paced back and forth in the room, impatiently. He was bored. He was very, very, very bored. This supposedly urgent hunt had become slow and nothing more than a dead end. Oh, something was definitely happening, probably something supernatural, but Sam had been unable to get any leads or information and Dean was sure one more day in this lousy motel would kill him, or at least drive him crazy.

_Speaking of Sam…where the heck is he? _"Dad, wasn't Sam supposed to be back by now?"

John looked up from the laptop he was sitting in front of, turning a knowing gaze on his eldest son. "Dean, you know how he is at libraries. He's probably just lost in some book or something."

Dean sighed. "Yeah, probably." _But why does my gut say otherwise? _

A sudden knock at the door had Dean moving quickly towards it. _That better be you, Sam, and you better have a very good explanation of why you're late or I'm going to kick your butt. _Throwing the door open, Dean was barely fast enough to catch his baby brother as he crumpled to the floor.

"DAD!"

…..

"The wound isn't too bad. It's a graze, though a pretty deep one. He'll be okay." John re***ured his oldest son, who was staring at the youngest with worry in his eyes, mother-hen instincts flaring up.

Sam was lying on the bed, motionless, having p***ed out the second Dean opened the motel room door. He hadn't woken up since.

John had patched up the bleeding wound in his side where a bullet had grazed him, but was leaving the smaller, less deadly, wounds to his oldest son.

Without another word, Dean moved over to the bed, inspecting the damage with his own eyes. Sam's side was bandaged, but Dean's eyes were drawn to the dark, ugly, severe bruising that was forming on Sam's chest and face. It was proof that Sam had been severely beaten before being shot at and Dean hated the fact that his younger brother would be in a great deal of pain when he woke. The split lip, bloody nose, and cuts on Sam's face really ticked Dean off. _What the heck happened to you, Sam? I knew I shouldn't have let you go off to the library by yourself. I knew it. Dang it!_

A damp wash-cloth in his hand, Dean gently began to clean up the blood on Sam's face, careful not to press too hard or cause his brother anymore pain.

"You know, Sammy, if you wanted to get a good beating today, I could have sparred with you. You didn't have to go pick fights with the playground bullies. This isn't a good way to get attention, Sammy. Gunshot wounds? That's a little extreme even for you, gigantor. I mean, I can only handle so much of your masochistic ways, Sam. I think I'm just going to tie you up and stick you in the trunk of the Impala from now on."

Dean was sure that if Sam were conscious he'd be rolling his eyes right now. Talking about nothing while cleaning and treating a wounded Sam was a habit that he had developed over the years, one that worsened as Sam got older and participated more in hunts and became more and more of a target to the supernatural. Everyone had ways of dealing and this was Dean's. The baby brother he raised, covered in blood, wasn't a sight he wanted to see, no matter how justified he felt in his life as a hunter.

Dean's thoughts were cut off as Sam groaned lightly, shifting slightly on the bed, his face immediately twisting in pain. His eyes flickered open, roamed for a moment, before landing on Dean. "D-Dean?" he sounded confused, tired, pained.

"Yeah, Sammy. Do you remember what happened?" he asked, even while he reached for some pain killers, shaking two out in his hand, then helping Sam take them without having to move too much.

Sam swallowed, then nodded a little. Dean was instantly concerned by the way Sam's face drained of color. "I was leaving the library. Got attacked by an older guy, trained, knew what he was doing. I got away right before his friends came up to join us." Sam hesitated, wincing in pain as he forgot himself as started to bite his lower lip.

"Relax, Sammy. It's over now. You're safe."

Sam shook his head slightly. "Dean, you don't understand. He…" Sam stopped, memories, realizations, stopping him cold in his explanation. _What am I going to do? Gosh, what am I going to do?_

"What's wrong, Sammy?"

"Dean, my attacker was a hunter."


	2. Chapter 2

Hey! Here's the next chapter! Sorry it took so long, but real life, you know. :) There's going to be another chapter soon, hopefully. Thanks for reading and please review! :)

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Dead silence met Sam's words. John stood nearby, shock clear on his face. Dean was frozen, a myriad of emotions crossing his face: disbelief, worry, and anger.

Dean was the first to react. "_What?_" He was already pacing at the foot of Sam's bed, running his fingers agitatedly through his hair, looking like he really wanted to hit something but had no outlet.

John took a step forward. "Sam, I need you to tell us what happened. Did the hunter say anything to you?"

Sam winced in pain as he shifted slightly on the bed, snorting as the man's words came to mind. "Yeah. He said he was going to 'put [me] down like the dog [I was].'"

Dean stopped pacing and looked at Sam, a smirk crossing his face. "He really said that? Seriously? Wow. That's…really stupid." Dean was struggling to find humor in the situation, his brother's pain and the result of the hunter's attack clear for him to see.

John sighed. "Theatrical and ridiculous, but the threat is very real." He reminded his sons.

Sam frowned, any humor he might have found disappearing. "Yeah. The threat is definitely real. The hunter said he compared me to a dog because like a dog after a bone we chased after this hunt, even though it was a fake, set up by him and his friends." A dark look crossed Sam's face. "He said I'm the supernatural, so whether or not I did anything wrong, that means I have to die. He was prepared, skilled, and he had friends."

John paused at that. "Did you see how many?"

Sam grimaced. "No. I was pinned to the ground at that point and he had been using my head as a punching bag. Everything was a little blurry."

John scowled, glancing at his eldest son, who looked like he was about to blow a head gasket. "Dean, watch over your brother. Don't leave his side, don't let anyone in. I'm going to go call Bobby and Pastor Jim and tell them to keep their ears open. We need to know how many hunters know about Sam's visions and how many could possibly be after him. I'm also going to go back to where Sam was attacked and see if I can find anything that could lead us to these hunters or at least tell us who they are. Pack up. We can't stay here."

Dean nodded, sticking his gun in his belt, beneath his over-shirt, watching as John left the motel room. Turning to Sam, Dean frowned as he saw the distant look in his baby brother's eyes. _What aren't you telling us, Sammy? _

Dean sat gently on the bed beside Sam, giving him a knowing look. "Sam, what's going on in that big head of yours? I know you left something out, Sam."

Sam couldn't meet his eyes. "It wasn't anything important, Dean."

_Oh no you don't. I won't let you off that easy. _"Let me be the judge of that, Sam."

Sam glanced at him, then stared back down at his hands. He was quiet for so long that Dean was sure he was going to have to force an answer from his brother. Finally, he spoke, his voice soft and controlled, a sure sign that Sam was trying to hide emotion. A Winchester-specialty. "He called me a demon."

Dean stifled a sigh. Sam had been very sensitive about his "powers" since he got them. His dad's reaction to them had not helped and Sam was always afraid they were evil. As hunters raised by a hunter, Dean could see why Sam was so worried, but it bothered him that it took so little to shake the kid up where his powers were concerned. _He always has been the sensitive one. Poor little girl….. _

Dean sighed theatrically, using his "I'm the big brother talking to the rather slow younger brother and I'm being amazingly patient" voice. "Sam. The hunter was _crazy_. We don't take crazy people seriously, Sammy. And, FYI, people are way crazier than the supernatural most of the time. Don't take his words to your sensitive little heart, Sammy."

Sam rolled his eyes, but Dean could tell that his words weren't sinking in. _Fine. Chick-flick moment it is. What I do for you, Samantha… Such a girl. _The thought had no sting though. Dean would always do what it took to keep his brother safe, even if it was safe from his own thoughts, fears, and doubts. "Sam, you have saved hundreds of lives with your visions. Demons don't save lives, Sammy, they take them. You may have a supernatural ability, but clearly that doesn't necessarily make you evil. No matter what the source of your ability, you are not a demon. _You are not evil._ I'm done talking about this, Sam. You are not evil. End of story, big brother's word is law, no more discussion. Okay, Samantha?"

Sam rolled his eyes again, but he was smiling and Dean knew his kid brother's hard head had finally been penetrated. "'Big brother's word is law'? And you say _I_ have a big head?"

"Yes, #$%^&."

"Jerk."

….

"Sam. Hey, Sammy! Sam! You listening to me?" Dean frowned as his brother remained at the window, apparently lost deep in thought. _What the heck….? _Dean walked up behind Sam, reaching out and tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention. He jumped back as Sam started violently, swinging around. It only took a second for his baby brother to get his expression back under control, but Dean saw the bright fear in Sam's eyes before a scowl took its place.

"What the heck, Dean?"

Dean knew Sam had been on edge the last two weeks since the attack, but this was getting out of hand and Dean couldn't help but be worried. _Apparently that attack scared Sam more than he's been letting on._ "Sam, what is going on with you? You've been really jumpy."

Sam turned back to the window, his face remaining composed, but his eyes giving him away.

Dean had raised the kid. There was no way he was going to hide behind the Winchester mask successfully. "Sam."

Sam winced at the tone, then finally sighed. "It's been two weeks, Dean. Two weeks and not one sign of them. Where are they? Sometimes I wish they'd attack just to get it over with."

Dean sighed, clapping Sam on the shoulder. "Don't worry so much, Sam. Dad and I have your back. You're healing up and we're ready for them. Just relax."

Sam shot Dean an exasperated look. "Yeah, I'll relax. How the heck can you expect me to relax, Dean, they almost _killed_ me and we don't know who they are or where they are. You relax, I'll think I'll be prepared instead."

Dean slapped Sam upside the head, giving him a sharp look. "Sam, you are so uptight! You're more stressed than prepared. You didn't know I was behind you, kiddo. You want to be prepared? Then be relaxed but aware. Don't let them know they're getting to you. Hunters that are sadistic enough to want to beat you to death as opposed to just shooting you…they want to get to you, they want to watch you sweat."

Sam was quiet for a second, then finally nodded, fighting a smile. "'Big brother's word is law', right?"

"You know it."

…..

Sam stepped out of the car, stretching lazily, gazing around at the diner they had stopped at. The parking lot was almost deserted because of the time of day. Sam sighed, heavily. _Relaxed. I'm relaxed. Totally, perfectly, completely relaxed. _

"Yo, Sammy!"

Sam turned to look at Dean. The sudden sound of gl*** breaking had him flinching away from the window, having just a second to glance startled at Dean, before his brother was grabbing him and pushing him back into the car.

"IN! GET IN!"

Nearby, five hunters were climbing into three different cars, cursing distantly at the missed shot.

"COME ON!" his dad was shouting, Dean slamming his door shut, the Impala's wheels squealing as the car shot out of the parking lot.

"Crap, that was freaking close!" Dean turned to look in the back at Sam. "Sam, you hurt?"

Sam shook his head. "No. No, I'm okay."

"Buckle up, boys. They're following us."

And the race was on. John skidded around street corners, trying to keep away from the three pursuing cars, trying to lose them.

Sam kept his head down as best he could, not wanting someone else to take a shot at him. _Crap, what I have gotten us into? _Sam fought back the guilt that threatened to overwhelm him. _So NOT the time! Pull yourself together!_

A sudden curse from John had Sam and Dean bracing themselves, the brakes squealing as a large truck moved into the street in front of them, the three cars stopping behind them. Their escape was blocked.

Resigning themselves to fight, the three Winchesters climbed out of the car. The hunters were already out, their eyes all on their prey: Sam.

Sam resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably under the scrutiny, instead raising himself up to his full height, refusing to be an easy target for these psychos. Obviously, they were past reasoning.

A low growl from Dean was all the warning Sam got before he felt a firm, but gentle hand on his arm, pulling him back. Dean smoothly stepped in front of him, his arms at his side, but his whole body tense, ready to move at a moment's notice. The message was clear: _Don't touch my brother, you stupid ^#$%$#&^#$%$#. _

One of the hunters took a step forward, his hands up placatingly. "Look, guys, I understand little Sammy here is special to you, but you must see that he is a danger. He's supernatural. You guys are hunters, you should know better than to let him live. I can understand if you don't want to do it yourselves. Just give him over to us and we'll take care of it. We'll even make it quick."

Sam flinched at that, even while Dean snarled viciously, "Over my dead body."

John's face darkened, but he said nothing.

The hunters began to subtly shift their stances, preparing for a fight. "This is your last and only chance, Winchester. Hand him over or your entire family is a target."

John's response was cut off by the distant sound of sirens. The group of hunters all tensed, before the hunter who had been speaking scowled. "This isn't over. Next time, we'll go straight through you. You can't keep him safe forever."

The hunters jumped into their cars as the sound of sirens began to get closer.

John looked over at his boys, both of whom were grimly sharing glances with the other. "We'd better get out of here before the police arrive."

…

The family drove in silence for several hours. All lost in their own thoughts, though they seemed to all be along a similar line: _We are in SO much trouble._

Finally, John broke the silence. "This has officially gotten out of control. We're going to need backup. Dean, call Bobby tell him what happened. Tell him we need Pastor Jim too. We're going to Bobby's house."


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for being patient! Here's the next chapter, there's one more to go! Thanks for reading and please review! Reviews totally make me write faster [makes me feel really guilty for making you guys wait… :) ].

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"They'll be here. Just wait. They ain't giving up." Bobby growled, angrily.

"We can't let our guard down. Clearly, they're organized enough to keep track of you guys. And lay down ambushes." Jim sighed heavily.

"Though apparently they're lousy shots." Sam threw in with a forced, sickened-looking grin. His addition was met with frowns and worried glances. They all knew him too well.

Dean threw an arm around his baby brother's shoulders. "Don't worry, kiddo. You'll be okay. We'll figure out how to get rid of these guys. I promise."

"It's not myself I'm worried about." Sam mumbled, barely audible.

Dean's frown deepened. "What?"

Sam suddenly straightened with a deep breath, his expression schooled, clear, and strong. Dean felt his heart drop into his feet. _That's not good. _

"They said next time they find us they're going to go straight through you guys to get to me. I've been thinking and….." Sam took another deep breath. "I think I should leave. They don't want anything to do with you guys. It's easier to hide one person than three or five. I can stay low, under the radar, until they lose interest or you guys catch up with them."

Dean snapped his jaw shut, only too aware of how ridiculous he probably looked. John, Jim, and Bobby looked just as shocked as he felt.

"No. Absolutely not. You're not going out there alone when they're out for your head on a platter. No." Dean shook his head, adamantly, anger darkening his tone, fear making his blood run cold.

Sam's eyebrows knitted together, frustration warring with trepidation on his face. "Dean, I will _not_ be responsible for them hurting you. I'm not just going to stand here and wait for them to show up and just _hope _no one I care about is caught in the crossfires. I won't do it. I'm not a child anymore, Dean."

Dean sighed. _I know, Sam. Maybe I'm just not ready to let you go._ "No, you're not, but that doesn't mean you can go out there on your own with some crap plan to lead them away from the rest of us. Not gonna happen."

Sam's fists clenched, his jaw tightening before he released an angry breath through his nose and finally snarled. "'Some crap plan'? You're one to talk. You're the king of throwing yourself head first into danger and hoping nothing unexpected happens. I'm just following your example, _big brother_."

Dean took a step forward, furious, only to feel Pastor Jim's hand press firmly against his chest, his other hand on Sam's, stopping him from getting any closer.

Jim gave them both a reprimanding glare. "I know tension is high right now. I know you're both nervous and restless, but this is not going to help. If we don't stick together, we have no chance. Our enemies are strong and many and you both know they will take advantage if we are divided."

After a tense and awkward silence, Dean finally straightened, his hands relaxing from the tight fists they had been. "No need to start preaching, Pastor Jim." He said gruffly.

Pastor Jim knew him too well to be bothered by his words. He knew the gruffness was simply Dean's apology.

Sam sighed, his posture relaxing. His gaze remained fixed to the floor, refusing to meet the gaze of anyone else in the room.

"Sam-"

"I can't just sit here." Sam interrupted, softly but p***ionately. "I can't let them…..I can't…." Sam let out a frustrated huff, falling silent.

All of Dean's anger drained away at that. He understood being powerless. Sam's visions had been doing that to him for years. He also understood being protective, though that was his job not Sam's. With a pointed glance at Pastor Jim, John, and Bobby, Dean moved away from Jim's restraining hand. Jim nodded, silently urging the others out of the room.

The second they were gone, Dean moved up to Sam. "Sam." Dean sighed as Sam remained motionless and silent. "Sammy. Kiddo. Everything will be fine. We're stronger together. If you leave, we will be all the more vulnerable. Think about it. We're going to be worried about you, distracted. They're going to take advantage of that. They could take one of us and use us as bait for you. Come on, for a smart guy you can be really stupid." Dean smirked.

Sam rolled his eyes, finally looking up at Dean.

Dean grinned. "Isn't there some sort of saying about being united and divided and falling or something?"

Now Sam outright laughed and nodded. "United we Stand, Divided we Fall."

"Well there you go then." Dean clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Suck it up, kiddo. That's how it is. Either we stand together or we fall together. Besides…..you couldn't last for five minutes out on your own."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Whatever. Neither would you."

"Uh-uh! I could take them all out, alone, blindfolded, and with an arm tied behind my back."

"I'll remember that when we meet up with them."

"Whatever, ^#$&."

"Jerk."

…

"DEAN!"

Dean's head jerked up at the terrified, urgent cry that could only be from Sam. "SAM? SAMMY?"

No answer.

Dean took off running out into the yard, hearing Jim, Bobby, and John not too far behind him.

He slid to a halt as he saw five men standing in a semi-circle, Sam kneeling in the middle of them all. It was the rifle pressed up against the side of Sam's head that caught their attention though.

"Hey boys. Long time no see." One of the hunters grinned. "Now, please, drop your weapons and keep your hands where we can see them, or you get to watch your precious boy's head get blown off. Surely you don't want to make such a mess. Blood is a pain to clean up. And I don't think I'll miss this time, do you?"

….

They were in trouble. _This is bad. Oh, this is really, really bad. _

Each of Sam's friends and family were tied with their hands behind their backs, legs tied to the chairs the hunters had brought out from Bobby's own kitchen. None of them dared fight back, afraid that the hunter with his rifle still pressed against Sam's head would fire if they did. They simply couldn't take the chance.

Once the hunters were secured, the five turned to Sam, surrounding him, taunting grins and scowls all aimed at the youngest Winchester. "You know we were just going to go after you. But then you had to get your family involved. I'm afraid we simply can't let that go. If we just kill you, they will come after us. They got in the way last time. I'm afraid because you've brought them into this….." the hunter's shoulders and chest heaved with fake regret. "I'm afraid we've decided they have to die. And you get to watch. One by one, we're going to torture them until they scream. Then, when they're all dead, we're going to kill you. It'll be slow and painful. The most painful part, though, is the knowledge that you're entire family died because _you_ are a demon, because _you_ were too cowardly to take death like a man. It's _your_ fault they're going to die."

Sam's face was white, his whole body shaking. His head shook doggedly. "No. No!" he started to stand, panicking, horrified. One of the hunters smirked and violently smashed the butt of his rifle into Sam's back, another hunter doing the same to his right knee. Sam collapsed back to the ground with a slightly muffled cry of pain.

Dean jerked against his bindings, angrily, loudly shouting and cursing at the hunters, noticing John, Bobby, and Jim doing the same. "LEAVE HIM ALONE! HE DIDN'T FREAKING DO ANYTHING! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

The hunters glanced over at Dean, smirks lighting their faces. "Let's start with you, shall we?" he chuckled. Sam's head jerked up at that, meeting Dean's gaze.

The pure fear, mixed with panic and love, that he saw in his baby brother's eyes twisted his gut. He had always known he was going to die young, but he had one major regret about it being now, besides that fact that it was a little earlier in life than he had thought. _Sam has to watch. Look away, Sammy. You don't have to watch. Please look away._

Gathering his courage, Dean forced his face not to show any of his fear or regret.

Meeting Sam's gaze, he took advantage of the wordless communication the two had long ago mastered, letting his baby brother draw on his strength, see his love, and realize the lack of blame or anger in his face.

Finally, he decided to heck with what everyone else thought. "It's okay, Sammy. Don't watch. It's not your fault."

The hunters laughed loudly and roughly. "That's very nice, Dean, but you know it _is_ his fault. I mean, he's the one with the powers, right? He's the one who let himself get caught alone, not once, but _twice_. Not much of a hunter if you ask me."

Sam's gaze dropped to the ground, his whole body heaving with a muffled, restrained sob. It jerked up again as the hunters moved away from him, towards Dean.

"NO! NO! PLEASE! LEAVE HIM ALONE! JUST KILL ME! HE'S A HUNTER JUST LIKE YOU! Please, just kill me, leave them alone. Please." Sam begged, p***ionately, but uselessly. They ignored him, still moving towards him. "NO! DEAN! DEAN, NO!" Sam was full-blown panicking enough, screaming desperately for his big brother.

Memories of Dean flashed across his eyes, making them fill with tears at the reminder of what he was about to lose. Dean, always there for him. Dean, comforter, protector, provider, joker, friend, father, _brother. No. NO! Please, no. _

Dean, despite death looming, imminent, unavoidable, couldn't leave Sam like that, panicked, screaming, desperate. "Sam. SAM! It's okay, kiddo. It's okay! Everything will be okay! It's not your fault, kiddo. Everything's going to be okay!"

Dean froze as Sam suddenly jerked violently, an unearthly scream ripping from his throat, bringing everyone to a stunned halt.

The ground began to shake underneath them, trembling turning shaking, turning to a full-blown earthquake. The hunters were all flung violently away from Dean, hitting the ground hard, sprawled and groaning. Sam's screaming cut off just as suddenly and at the same time as the shaking did.

Dean stared in shock and fear at Sam's limp body. His little brother's skin was ghost white, his whole body shuddering minutely, the only color a little green in his face. A sheen of sweat coated all visible skin. For a mind-numbing second, Dean was sure his baby brother wasn't breathing. Finally, Sam took a quivering, shallow breath that allowed his older brother to breathe too.

_Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh….. I can't believe… Was that really Sam? Oh gosh. _

"Get up, Sam. Come on. Take your chance. Get up." Dean muttered encouragingly under his breath.

Somehow, he knew that wasn't going to happen.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey! Sorry it's been so long, I've been really sick thanks to some medicine I've been taking and I'm just now starting to recover enough to write. So here's the final chapter of this story! There's probably at least one more story in this series, more if I get enough requests to continue. Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews so far! Keep it up! ;)

Just a warning, there might be sort-of religious themes in this chapter…I don't really know if it counts as religious, but…..well, just to be on the safe side, I thought I'd warn you…. :) And, obviously, this story is AU, but it goes even more AU in this chapter. :)

Oh, and someone told me that there are little stars blocking out the middle of some of my words. My computer has a swearing filter on it and it's been filtering my own stories apparently but in the middle of words... I didn't know it was doing that, but I'm trying to fix it. If it shows up again in this chapter (filtered) would someone please tell me, so I can try to figure out how to make it stop? Thanks! :)

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One by one the hunters began to climb to their feet, groaning as their sore bodies protested the movement.

Dean couldn't help but notice exactly how ticked they all looked. _Crap. Crap, this is bad, this is bad. _He jerked hard against his ropes, but knew he wasn't going to be able to get free.

"_Sam! SAM GET UP!" _Dean's scream went unanswered. _Sam is barely breathing, the kid looks seconds away from death. He's not going to be able to get away. _

The knowledge hurt more than any physical injury Dean had ever had.

_No. Sam, no. Come kiddo, please. Get up. _

"See! I told you! The freak kid is a demon!" one of the hunters yelled, angrily. Grabbing his fallen rifle in his hand, the hunter walked towards Sam, the others following close behind.

The rifle was pressed directly between Sam's closed eyes.

_NO! _Dean didn't realize he'd actually screamed the word out loud until the hunter's glanced at him, looking amused.

The hunter tightened his hold on the trigger about to fire.

_Oh please. Please save him. _

"THAT IS _ENOUGH!_" A voice like thunder echoed through the car graveyard, the sheer power of it driving the hunters to their knees. A bright white light appeared nearby, a dim figure walking forward through it. When it finally darkened, then faded away, a man stood there in its place. A long tan trench coat over a white button-up shirt and black slacks graced his form, messy brown hair giving him a rogue-ish look.

Dean would later swear he saw wings spread behind the man's back.

"You will leave. And you will never bother the Winchesters or their friends again. Is that understood?" the man's voice rang through the yard, his gaze hard and challenging.

The hunters stared at him, still too shocked to move.

"NOW!" the thunderous tone was back full force.

The hunters ran, practically tripping over themselves in their haste to get away.

The man turned to face the tied hunters, giving them a once-over.

Dean couldn't stay silent any longer. "I don't mean to be rude to the man who just saved our butts, but who the heck are you?"

The man's penetrating gaze met the older brother's eyes. "I am Castiel. I am an angel of the Lord."

Dean's jaw dropped. "Angel?"

Castiel nodded. "I was sent to assist you and your brother, Dean Winchester."

The mention of his brother had Dean's gaze ripping away from Castiel's and falling on Sam. Sam's chest was heaving now, small gasps falling from his lips as he struggled to breath, his body struggling and failing.

Dean decided to wait until later to argue with himself about believing Castiel or not. "Please. Help him."

Castiel looked down at Sam, quickly kneeling beside him. He pressed two fingers against Sam's forehead, closing his eyes in concentration. Sam's gasping slowed, his breathing evening out. Color began to return to his cheeks, his trembling body finally stilling.

_Perhaps I'll just skip that argument with myself. Holy crap. _

Castiel stood and faced the hunters. Almost immediately, their bonds released them, the ropes falling limp to the ground. "Sam will wake soon. Then we must talk."

…..

After explaining to a shell-shocked Sam what had happened and introducing Castiel to Sam, Dean turned to Castiel and gave him the opportunity to speak.

"I require Dean and Sam to walk with me. Please. There is much to be explained and little time to do it in."

….

Castiel regarded Sam in silence for a moment, then began, his voice soft and quiet. "When you were six months old, Sam, a demon came to your nursery. Your mother found him bent over your crib and she sacrificed her life to save yours."

Sam's wide eyes met Dean's, his face pale. "So she did die because of me." He murmured.

Dean shook his head firmly. "No, she died _for_ you, Sammy. There's a difference."

Castiel looked on the pair, pity clear in his eyes. "She died for Dean too, Sam. Dean would not have lived long without you, neither would have your father. You gave them reasons to move on after she died. Do not feel guilty. She is with the Father now and at peace."

Dean threw an arm around his brother's shoulders in a rare show of affection. Somehow, he felt the moment called for it.

"The demon was _sent_ there to kill you, Sam." Castiel revealed.

Sam and Dean both stopped walking, staring at Castiel in surprise.

"_What?_" Dean swore violently.

"Why?" Sam's voice was soft, tone sounding slightly dazed.

Castiel turned to face Sam fully, his eyes dark and serious. "Because you had been granted gifts from heaven. Abilities that would help you fight and defeat evil. And the dark forces knew they could not risk you learning how to use them."

Sam felt a blossom of hope spark in his chest. "So….." he couldn't ask the question.

Castiel seemed to know what he wanted to say. "You are a warrior on the side of heaven, Samuel. You are not a demon. I promise."

Sam sagged against Dean, who was giving him a small smile. "Told you not to jump to conclusions, Sammy." He grinned.

"I must go now, but if you need me, just say my name three times and I will come. I am your….how do you humans say it…guardian angel, I suppose." Castiel laid a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Good luck, Sam. You and your brother have an important work to do that can only be done together. I wish you both the best."

Within the blink of an eye, Castiel was gone.

"Holy crap."

…

"So now what?" Sam asked quietly.

Dean glanced over at him from where he was lounging on Bobby's couch. "Well. One thing seems clear to me. You need to learn how to control your mojo crap. You almost _died_ and we have to make sure that doesn't happen again." Dean's voice was hard and though he sounded angry, Sam knew better, knew that Dean was afraid for him, afraid of losing him.

"I suppose we've got to start training then." Sam agreed.

"We'll take a couple of days to recover, then, yeah. We'll start training."

…..

Dean switched off the lights and lay back in bed, sighing softly. It had been a long day. Something nagged at him, though, refusing to let him sleep. Sam had been quiet after the crazy revelations they had received today and Dean couldn't help but worry about him. He knew what was running through Sam's head. The kid was too predictable. _Dang it, Sam. _He silently cursed his brother, lying in the other bed._ You and your blasted chick flick moments._

"You know, Sammy….." Dean started. He paused, making sure he had Sam's attention. "Even if your powers had been demonic…it wouldn't really have changed anything. Not….not between us." Dean really hoped he _didn't_ sound as uncomfortable as he thought he did. "You would have just been proof that…well, I never would have given up on you or deserted you. I never will. No matter _what_ happens."

There was no response for a moment and Dean began to wonder if Sam had already fallen asleep and missed his whole confession. _You'd better be awake, Sam, or I'm going to freakin' kick your butt._

"Thanks, Dean."

Hearing his tone, Dean knew why Sam had taken a moment to respond. The kid sounded like he was fighting tears. _Such a girl, Samantha. _Dean thought fondly. _Course I started the chick flick moment….dang it. _

There was silence for a few minutes and Dean began to drift off, sure that Sam was already asleep, when he heard a small snickering coming from the other bed.

"What?" Dean dared to ask.

"_I'll never quit you, man!_" Sam managed, laughing so hard he could barely breathe, gasping between breathless laughs.

Dean rolled his eyes. _And Sam says __**I'm**__ the one with a strange sense of humor….._

"Shut up and go to bed, Sam." He growled, but he couldn't keep the smile out of his voice. _Yep, Sam's going to be okay. We both are. Whatever comes, we'll face it together. Evil has no chance against the Winchesters. _


End file.
